How to spot a visa scam: a checklist for South Asian applicants

Every year, people across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal lose savings to fake job offers and fake visa agents. Governments on both sides have published clear warnings. This guide turns those official warnings into a checklist you can use before you pay anyone or hand over a document.

The scale of the problem

India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has warned of a huge rise in overseas job seekers being cheated by unregistered recruitment agents, with overcharging of Rs. 2 to 5 lakhs. It says these agents often work through Facebook, WhatsApp and text messages, give little or no detail of where they are, and lure workers into difficult and sometimes life-threatening conditions. The MEA lists cases involving several East European countries, Gulf countries, Central Asian countries and others.

The UK government has issued similar warnings. The British High Commission in Dhaka has described fake job offers that use the names of real UK businesses, forged documents presented as Home Office papers, and requests for “registration fees” for a work permit.

Five facts that protect you

Most scams fall apart once you know how the real system works.

1. Only the destination country decides. The EU Immigration Portal states that residence permit applications must always be made to the authorities of the country you plan to move to, and that no European institution issues permits on a country’s behalf. No agent can decide or “fix” your permit.
2. Fees go to the authorities, through official channels. The UK government says the Home Office will never ask for payment by email, at a visa application centre or into a personal bank account.
3. There is no “employee registration fee”. The British High Commission in Dhaka states plainly that there is no such thing as an employee registration fee for UK visas. UK guidance also says a legitimate employer would never ask for payment to secure a visa.
4. Work needs a work visa. The MEA says valid job offers must let you emigrate on an employment or work visa, not a tourist visa. A tourist visa is for tourism only.
5. No one can guarantee a visa or a job. UK Visas and Immigration says it will never guarantee a job in the UK. Decisions belong to the authorities alone.

The checklist: before you pay anyone

Go through every line. One “no” is a reason to stop and check.

• Is the agent registered? In India, recruiting agents for overseas jobs must hold a licence from the MEA. Registered agents display their licence number in their office and in their advertisements. Check it on the government website emigrate.gov.in under “List of active RA”.
• Is the fee within the legal limit, with a receipt? Under the Emigration Act 1983, as set out in the MEA advisory, an Indian recruiting agent may not collect more than Rs. 30,000 plus GST (18%) from an emigrant for its services, and must issue a receipt.
• Is there a written contract? The MEA says a valid job offer comes with an employment contract signed by the foreign employer, the recruiting agent and the worker, setting out the terms, the salary and other benefits.
• Is it the right visa? If the job requires travel on a tourist or visit visa, treat it as a serious warning sign.
• Can you verify the employer yourself? Find the company’s official website and contact it through publicly listed details, not the number the agent gives you.
• Are you being asked to pay into a personal account? Official fees are never paid this way.
• Is the website genuine? Official UK government sites end in “.gov.uk”. For other countries, find the official migration authority’s address yourself rather than clicking a link you were sent.
• Are you being rushed or told to keep it secret? UK guidance warns about anyone who demands secrecy or pressures you to act immediately.
• Are the documents real? Look for spelling and grammar mistakes, wrong letterheads and email addresses that only look official.
• Is it too good to be true? High pay, no interview, no qualifications needed and a fast visa are the classic signs.

Startup and investor schemes

Scams are not limited to jobs. Some target founders with promises of startup visas or investor residence. Lithuania’s Startup Lithuania programme, for example, states that it does not charge applicants for its services, and warns that people claiming to administer the programme or to mediate applications may ask for payment. Its confirmation letter does not decide your permit either: the Migration Department makes the final decision.

If someone offers to sell you a place on a government scheme, check directly with the scheme’s official website first.

Forged documents and irregular routes

Some agents offer to “help” with forged bank statements, fake degrees or false invitations. Do not accept. The UK government says it has advanced methods of identifying forgeries and will refuse applications that use them. A refusal for deception can follow you into future applications.

The EU Immigration Portal also warns against promises of entry into an EU country through smuggling. People who enter this way have no right to be there, may face fines and return, and are at greater risk of exploitation.

If something has already gone wrong

• Stop paying. Do not send more money to “release” a visa or a job.
• Keep everything. Save messages, receipts, bank transfers and the agent’s details.
• Report it in India. The MEA advisory lists the Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendra (PBSK) helpline, toll-free from India on 1800 11 3090, email helpline@mea.gov.in, and the Office of the Protector General of Emigrants at pge@mea.gov.in.
• Report it to the country being used. For UK-related fraud, UK guidance points to Action Fraud, and to your local authorities if you are overseas.
• Warn others. Tell family and friends, so the same agent does not reach them.

Readers in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal should check their own government’s emigration authority for the equivalent register of licensed agents and complaint lines.

How Mavericks helps

Mavericks Settle guides people through legitimate residence routes, with legal work handled by regulated partner law firms. We tell you what the official rules say, including when a route does not fit. Mavericks opens doors. It doesn’t guarantee jobs or visas, and anyone who promises you one is not telling you the truth.